


H is Silent, The

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-04-01
Updated: 2002-04-01
Packaged: 2018-11-20 15:29:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11338269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Part canon, part AU.  Eddie Van Blundht gets more than he bargained for when he becomes Mulder and tries to take over his life.





	H is Silent, The

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

H is Silent, The

## H is Silent, The

#### by Aries

Title: H is Silent, The  
Author: Aries  
Feedback to:   
Author's Website: http://denofsin.slashcity.net/aries/ariestitle.html  
Date Archived: 04/01/02  
Category: Unclassified     
Pairing: Mulder/Krycek         
Rating: NC-17  
Spoilers: Small Potatoes  
Permission to Archive: RatB, Den of Sin, Slashville. I'd appreciate a quick shout from anyone else who wants it, okay?  
Series or Sequel/Prequel:   
Notes: Self beta'ed. Any goof gaffs or blunders are all my own  
Warnings:   
Disclaimer: I suppose that Mulder, Krycek, Scully, and Eddie Van Blundht are still the property of 1013, much as I'd like to think otherwise. Fine. Sure. Whatever. There are also several lines used in this story that are direct quotes from the episode, Small Potatoes. Hey, it had to be done.  
Summary: Part canon, part AU. Eddie Van Blundht gets more than he bargained for when he becomes Mulder and tries to take over his life.

* * *

"See you Monday." 

"Monday." 

The man Dana Scully saw as her partner let himself into the basement office and looked around. 

After several commentaries on the questionable sanity of the man whose life he had stolen, he left the Hoover Building and found his way to Hegal Place. 

He entered apartment forty-two, and after brief acquaintance with Fox Mulder's living area, he began to investigate the man's more personal belongings. 

Locating the bathroom, he poked around in the medicine cabinet. 

"Mouthwash, aspirin, deodorant...m-mmm...toothpaste, more deodorant...Band-aids..." 

He shut the mirrored door and came face to face again with 'himself'. He stopped to admire his reflection for a while then continued to look around. 

Two toothbrushes, side by side in a square green glass caught his eye, then the two hairbrushes on the other side of the sink. 

"Married? Can't be. What woman would put up with one nine hundred phone sex operators calling her house?" 

Chalking the double items up to the strangeness of the apartment's resident, he exited the bathroom and found his way to the bedroom. He scanned the room then stepped inside. 

Nothing fancy. Neat. Orderly. 

He walked over to the closet and opened the door. Several suits, as expensive-looking as the one he was wearing, hung neatly on wooden hangers on one side, and shoes of various types lined the shelves above. On the other side of the closet, he found a large variety of casual clothes, out of which he pulled a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt. 

"Might as well get comfortable," he told himself, taking the garments over to the bed. Tossing them down, he turned and headed back toward the bathroom. 

"Nice shower, then I'll think about some grub." 

Turning the shower on, he began to strip. As he pulled the last of his clothing off, he caught sight of 'his' naked body in the full-length mirror hanging on the back of the door. 

Broad chest and shoulders tapering to a trim waist and... 

"Holy _crap_!" 

Eddie looked down between his legs to confirm what the mirror had told him. 

"And he's gotta talk to phone sex operators? _Man_ , this guy's a loser." 

Emitting a disgusted sigh, he tore his eyes away from his new best friend to acquaint himself with the rest of his stolen body. 

Long runner's legs and a taut, round ass met his eyes as he turned this way and that, and he smiled. 

"God*damn*, you're hot. Why the heck aren't you porking that Scully chick?" He snorted at his reflection. "We'll take of that real soon." 

He stepped into the shower, turning his face up to the warm spray, and he began to smile as he thought of how easy it had been to get the jump on that Mulder character. 

//Never thought pudgy little me could actually get up into the ceiling//, he mused, congratulating himself as he washed. He lathered his torso and his hands moved lower, dipping to his groin, and he looked around the stall as it slowly caressed the most impressive column of flesh. He smiled as it began to awaken... 

* * *

Alex let himself into the apartment, keys jingling as he removed the one Fox had given him several months ago from the lock. A smile lit his face as he heard the shower going. Fox must have taken an earlier flight than he'd originally planned. 

Just coming in himself after a couple of days, he shuffled through the mail he'd picked up on the way into the building, wondering why Fox hadn't done so. Dropping the stack on the desk, he noticed that the answering machine light was blinking. He hit the playback button and removed his jacket as he listened to the same messages that Eddie had heard earlier. He rolled his eyes at the Lone Gunmen's message and growled softly at the next one. 

//Chantal, huh? Well,// he reasoned, //she did say that she hadn't heard from him in a long time...// 

Hanging his leather jacket up on the coat tree next to Fox's, he headed for the bathroom to surprise his lover... 

* * *

Man, oh man. A friggin' dream come true. 

Eddie's hand moved again and again over the considerable length of 'his' erect cock as he idly wondered if Mulder had registered this thing. With a weapon like this, he should be getting all the tail he could possibly handle. But instead, he was talking to phone sex operators. 

He couldn't get over it. 

Oh well. He'd be changing that in a big hurry... 

Too wrapped up in his plans to quit the FBI and become a porn star, Eddie didn't hear the bathroom door open. 

Just as he was about to really get into it, the curtain slid open. 

"Shit!" 

Alex's eyes widened, and he quickly reached out to keep 'his lover' from smashing his head against the tiles as he stumbled backward. 

"I'm sorry! I figured you'd heard me come in!" 

"Don't touch me!" 'Mulder' squealed, trying to fight off the hands that were still trying to steady him. 

"What the hell's the matter with you?" Alex shouted, finally getting a good grip on the wet man and holding him upright. 

Eddie stood there in shock, terrified and rapidly deflating as he and the new arrival eyed each other. 

"What the hell's going on? What are you so scared about?" 

Eddie snatched away the towel that Alex had touched to his chest and quickly held it up lengthwise in front of his dripping body as he shut off the water. 

" _Fox_. You showering in your sleep or what? It's _me_." 

Fox. Okay, wait. This hoodlum, whoever he was, was on a first name basis with Mulder. _And_ , he didn't seem the least bit shook up at seeing him naked. 

"Baby?" 

**BABY??**

//Oh, God. Ohhhh. Myyy. _God_.// 

"Come out of there." 

What could he do? Eddie stepped out of the tub and tried to edge past the other man. 

"Are you all right? You have a rough case or something?" 

//Think fast, Eddie.// 

"Umm...yeah. Yeah, uh...rough case. Tired. Uhhh....really tired." 

The other man stepped toward him, again attempting to invade his space. 

"Poor Fox." 

Eddie backed up until the counter stopped his progress. "Yeah, and uh...headache! I've got a terrible headache." 

//Worked for Mom.// 

Alex reached out, and 'Fox' flinched away as if scalded, gripping the towel for all he was worth. 

"I just want to dry you," Alex explained softly, again reaching out. 

This time Eddie forced himself to stand still while the hood again reached toward him. Gently, the towel was pulled away from his shivering body, and the other man began to dry him. 

//OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod// 

"Cold?" 

"Yeah," 'Fox' breathed. "Really uh...cold." 

Wrong thing to say? Yeah, well, sort of. 

"I can warm you up..." 

The towel brushed over his now very limp cock as the other man's lips covered his, and he bit off a terrified squeal as he leapt away. 

Alex stood frozen, towel in his hand, staring. 

"S-sorry," Eddie stammered, eyeing the silent man warily. "I'm really...I'm just so..." 

"Tired," Alex finished softly. 

"And my head. Uh...pounding head...headache." 

"Yeah, you said," Alex answered flatly. "Okay. Come on. Get into bed. Maybe you'll feel better after a good long rest." 

Eddie snatched another towel off of the rack and wrapped it around himself as he followed the man in black into the bedroom. He watched the other man turn down the covers, and when Alex motioned for him to get into bed, he jumped in and yanked the blanket up to his neck. 

"Fox." 

"Hmm? Yeah?" 

"Towel." 

"Oh. Right." 

Holding the blanket up to his chin with one hand, he pulled the towel away with the other and held it out to the other man. It was then that he eyed the clothes at the foot of the bed. 

Alex followed 'Fox's' gaze then looked back up into wide eyes 

"You want something to wear?" he asked, not believing he had to. 

"Yeah, that'd be good. Still cold." 

Alex turned and shuffled over to the dresser. Before he could yank the drawer open, reason crept in and told him that Fox _had_ to be sick or something. What other explanation could there be for his completely insane behavior? 

//Okay. Let him put something on, then start by checking his temperature.// 

Eddie watched as the man opened a drawer then turned and moved back toward him, holding a pair of gray pajamas. He took the offered clothing and, managing to shock the other even further, wrestled the pajamas on under the covers. 

Once 'Fox' had finished struggling, Alex approached the bed and lowered himself into a sitting position. Leaning forward, he lifted a hand to cup the back of the golden-brown head, and 'Fox' leapt to the other side of the bed, almost falling over the edge. 

"What...what're you doing?" 

"What d'you _mean_ , what am I doing? I'm trying to check and see if you have a fever." 

"No fever. I don't have a fever. I'm fine," Eddie rambled, gathering the blankets against his chest. 

Alex got to his feet, and he looked down at the other man. 

"Fox, I want to know what the hell happened, and I want to know right _now_." 

"What... _nothing_ happened," 'Mulder' insisted. "I'm just tired. Can't a guy be tired?" 

"Tired? Sure," Alex snapped. "But completely off balance?" 

"I'll be okay if I can just get some sleep," Eddie insisted, turning onto his side and making sure that the blankets stayed tightly up around his neck. He laid quietly, eyes closed, trying not to move. 

//Go away, please, please, please go away...// 

Alex stood watching the quivering lump for a few seconds then backed away. 

"Fine. You sleep. I'll go get something for dinner in case you're hungry later." 

Alex waited a bit longer, and when 'Fox' gave him no response, he turned and headed toward the door. 

Opening one eye, Eddie followed the hood's movements, and when the man suddenly turned around, he snapped his eye shut. Not quick enough as it turned out, but Alex said nothing to him. Several seconds went by before Eddie finally heard the door open and close. 

Carefully, he opened his eyes and looked around the empty room. Assuring himself that he was now alone, he sat up and plunged his fingers into his hair. 

//Oh, my _God_. I had to go pick a friggin' _gay_ FBI agent to become. What the heck am I gonna do _now_? I can't stay here! I mean... _crap_. Night time's gonna come, and he's gonna expect me to...// 

He slammed his hand against his mouth to prevent the loud gasp that threatened to escape. 

//I gotta get out of here.// 

While he tried to figure a way out of the mess he'd gotten himself into, Eddie heard the sound of a door being opened and closed. He sat listening for a long while, and when he heard nothing more, he crept out of bed and stood at the closed bedroom door. Hearing nothing, he dared to ease the door open and peek out. 

Quiet. 

//This might be the only chance you get. Move!.// 

He ran to the bed peeling the pajamas off and, snatching up the clothing he'd laid there earlier, fumbled into them. Then, peeking out once more to make sure that that guy hadn't come back, he made a beeline for the front door. Snatching a jacket off of the coat tree by the entrance, he threw the door open and made his escape. Only when he'd made it to Mulder's car and had pulled out of the garage did he breathe a sigh of relief. 

//Yeah, okay. So you made it out. Now what?// 

A few seconds passed as he thought, and then a smile curved his mouth. 

"Think it's time for the pretty boy to become a man." 

* * *

"Hello?" 

"Hey. It's Alex." 

"Hi. What's up?" 

"I was hoping you could tell me." 

"What d'you mean?" 

"Scully, did anything funny happen on this case that you and Fox were just on?" 

"Something funny happens on every case Mulder and I are on." 

"Yeah, but...did anything happen to Fox directly?" 

"No...why? What's wrong?" 

"He's acting so _weird_." 

"Weird how?" 

"I scared the hell out him when he was in the shower for starters." 

"What's so weird about that? If he didn't expect you to be there..." 

"No. There's scared and then there's scared. You weren't there. You had to see." 

"Okay, so what else?" 

"Then he did and said a bunch of stuff that wasn't him at all, and he chalked it all up to being _really_ tired and some bullshit headache." 

"Sounds like you didn't believe him." 

"Can't say that I did, no. Scully think. Please. You didn't notice him acting even the least bit strange?" 

"No, Alex. I...I don't know what to say to you. Maybe he really is just tired. Uh...where are you?" 

"On my way to pick up some groceries. There wasn't much in the apartment, and I told him I'd go out and pick up some stuff for dinner." 

"So, what's _he_ doing?" 

" _Napping_." 

"You know, maybe that's all he needs. He'll probably be fine once he wakes up." 

"I hope you're right, but somehow I doubt it. I'm telling you, you had to be there. He didn't want me to touch him. Practically leapt out of his skin every time I tried. Oh, and did I mention that after we left the bathroom, and he got into bed, he tried to put his pajamas on _under_ the covers so I wouldn't see him naked?" 

" _What_?" 

"You heard me." 

"Alex, I'm every bit as perplexed as you are. I have no idea why Mulder would be acting this way, but I'll try to help you find out." 

"Thanks, Scully." 

"I'll review any time I'd spent with him, and if I think of anything that happened out of the ordinary, I'll call and let you know, okay?" 

"All right." 

"In the meantime, keep an eye on him and call me if he gets any worse." 

"I will. I'm just pulling up in front of the store now, so I'll talk to you later." 

"All right. Try to take it easy, okay? Mulder'll be fine." 

"Yeah. Thanks again." 

Scully listened to the faint click and hung up her own phone. Running her fingers through her hair, she considered Alex's words, and she had to admit that something certainly did appear to be wrong with Mulder. She'd seen them together plenty, and the word uninhibited would not be too strong to describe their relationship. So this business about him not wanting Alex anywhere near him was completely... 

The buzzer jolted her out of her thoughts, and she walked over to the door, checking the peephole. 

//What the...// 

//Just let him in. Find out what he's doing here and take it from there.// 

Opening the door, she let her 'partner' in. 

"What's up?" 

"Scully. Is this a...a bad time?" 

"No. Come on in." 

As 'Mulder' walked past her, she eyed the bottle of wine he held behind his back. 

"Who's that for?" 

"...Us." 

//What the hell's going on...// 

"'Kay." Scully took the bottle and started toward the kitchen. "Have a seat." 

Digging through a drawer, she located the corkscrew and proceeded to open the bottle. 'Mulder' asked what she was working on, and she threw out a few comments about their latest subject, Eddie VanBlundht. Grabbing two glasses, she walked over to the sofa and poured. 

"Seriously, Mulder, what's going on? You okay?" 

"Just kind of kicking around, just thinking..." 

//Okay, we obviously don't want to talk about what happened with Alex...// 

"We never really talk much, do we?" 

//Where the heck is _this_ going?// 

"You mean like...really talk? No, no we don't, Mulder." 

"Well, what's stopping us?" 

//Oooookay. He wants to talk. So, talk. Talk him right into telling you what the hell is going on with him.// 

An hour and a full bottle of wine later, most of which she'd consumed, a tipsy Scully sat rambling about the goings on after her senior prom. 

And he listened. Commented and everything. 

_Why_? 

Scully stopped and blinked up at her 'partner', trying to focus on his intent face. 

"I don't believe I'm telling you this story." 

"I don't believe you haven't told me _before_." 

"I'm seeing a whole new side of you, Mulder." 

A side not wrapped up either in the case at hand or Alex Krycek. 

She should be asking him why. There was something wrong with this side of Mulder, but her wine-fuzzed brain wouldn't allow her to think that much. 

"Is that a good thing?" 

"I like it." 

Well, she did. 

"You ever wish things were different?" 

"Wh-what d'you mean?" 

"The person you wanted to be when you grew up...when you were in high school. How far off from that did you end up?" 

"Career wise? Miles off target." 

"No, not just that, but you ever wish you could go back and do it all differently?" 

What was with that look? Like understanding. _Interest_. Regret? 

What would he have to regret? 

Her conversation with Alex came back to her in bits and pieces. 

He wouldn't let Alex touch him. Jumped a mile when he tried. 

//No. No way in hell. He's wild about Alex...// 

"Do _you_?" 

The look grew more empathetic. Softer...more alluring... 

Unable to tear herself away from the glowing hazel gaze, Scully watched as 'Mulder' moved closer and closer. 

//No. This is wrong. Oh _boy_ is this wrong. We...we're _drunk_. He'll hate himself for doing this to Alex. I'll hate _myself_. Stop him. Oh, my God, stop him...// 

The sound of the door hitting the wardrobe as it was thrown open beat Scully to it, and Alex stormed inside, not at all happy with the scene that greeted him. 

"What the _fuck_ is this?" 

'Mulder' propelled himself away from Scully and shrank into the side of the sofa. How the hell did that psycho fairy find him? 

"Alex..." 

"You really should make sure that your door is closed all the way, Scully." Alex hissed, slamming the door shut and turning a wild stare from one to the other. "And _you_ , you son of a bitch..." 

"Alex," Scully began softly, trying to keep a potentially explosive situation from blowing up. "What are you doing here? What made you come here?" 

"I went home and didn't find him, so I went out looking. I decided to come by here and see if I could see his car," Alex said, staring daggers at the silent man. "I didn't call so I wouldn't _disturb_ you if it turned out he wasn't here. Well. I guess I disturbed you anyway, huh?" 

"No. No, Alex. Listen..." 

"To _what_?" Alex shouted. "I don't want to hear any fucking lame excuses. But answer me this, though." He stalked over to the other man and leaned in, planting his hands on either side of his head and trapping him in a withering gaze. "How long?" 

"H-how long what?" Eddie croaked, wishing with all his heart that he'd left Agent Mulder alone. 

"How long have you two been fucking around behind my back?" 

"No...no, this...this was the first time. I mean...it would have been..." 

"Is that _right_?" 

"No!" Scully shouted. "No, Alex. It w-wouldn't have been. I let him in because I was trying to find out what was wrong with him." 

Alex straightened up and squinted at the woman. "And you decided getting drunk and kissing him would be the best way to accomplish that?" 

" _He_ brought the wine. I figured if he had a couple of glasses, it would loosen him up and he'd _talk_ to me. I never imagined that he'd..." Scully waved her hand back and forth between them. "But he never even mentioned you." 

"Oh, no? There's a shock. Well, not really, I mean, it wouldn't be the best idea in the world to talk about me when he was trying to get into _your_ pants...don't you fucking move," he turned his head and growled at 'Fox', who was trying to escape the corner of the sofa. The other man sank back against the cushions, moaning pitifully. 

"He was _not_ trying to..." Scully groaned then lowered her head and breathed deeply. "God. Oh, God, I feel sick." 

"You haven't _begun_ to be sick," Alex promised then turned his infuriated gaze on the other man. "How could you do this to me?" he asked almost softly, and Eddie thought that his anger might have spent itself long enough for him to at least try and talk his way out of there. 

"Look...Alex," he started, at last knowing the man's name. "I'm sorry..." 

"No, *I'm* sorry," Alex shouted. "Sorry I was stupid enough to get myself involved with _you_! You know, if you were anybody else, I'd have fucking blown your head off first and asked questions later. But I can't, you lousy motherfucker." He grabbed the edges of 'Mulder's' leather jacket and shook the other man violently. "And you know that, don't you? Don't you?!" 

"I...I don't..." 

"Tell me!" Alex screamed at the petrified man. "Tell me why I can't do it!" 

Before Eddie could pass out there was a loud, violent crack, and the door flew open. Scully's mouth dropped, and Alex's jaw as well as his grip on 'Mulder' went slack as the seated man's double burst in. Three very wide pairs of eyes met from different corners of the room, and then simultaneously fell to the man in Alex's loosened grasp. 'Mulder' let out a defeated sigh and right before Alex's disbelieving eyes, turned into a dumpy, balding man. 

Alex leapt away from the other man and stumbled backward, too shocked to speak 

"Eddie Van Blundht," Scully gasped then turned to the new arrival. "Mulder, what...what the hell's going on here?" 

"Mr. Van Blundht here caught me in a little trap," Mulder replied, slightly out of breath. Took me a while to escape, but when I couldn't find him, I kind of figured out what had happened." 

Finally able to move, Alex raised a hand and pointed at Van Blundht. 

"How the hell did you...Christ. Oh, shit! I...touched him, I...oh, _God_ , I..." He made a disgusted face. "I fucking _kissed_ that! God, oh, _GOD_!" 

Alex began to pace wildly, scrubbing at his mouth with first the back of his hand and then the hem of his shirt, and while Fox moved in to comfort him, Scully grabbed her cuffs from her purse on the side of the sofa and restrained the impostor. 

"It's okay, Alex," Fox soothed, stilling the other man. "It could have been worse, right?" 

Alex closed his eyes, shuddering at the thought of what could have been. Then they opened and stared at Fox in horror. 

"I thought...oh shit, I thought that he and Scully...God, I can't even say it." 

Fox looked from his overwhelmed lover to his partner. "What's he talking about? He thought that you'd what?" 

Closing her eyes, Scully held up a hand, silently asking Fox to back off on the questions for now. 

Fox turned back to Alex, cocking his head curiously, but the only answer he received was a hugely relieved sigh and an armful of limp Alex. He kissed the younger man's head and held him in a secure embrace while studying the other man. 

"Did you really think you'd get away with it?" he asked, stroking his lover's back. 

Eddie opened his mouth as if to speak then thought better of it. 

"Mulder, we've got to get him out of here," Scully spoke up, rubbing at her temples. 

"I know." Fox released Alex and planted a soft kiss on the other man's lips. "I gotta take him in. Will you go home and wait for me?" 

Alex nodded, accepting another kiss then turned to face the cuffed man. 

"Fox?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Nobody knows he's here except for us, right?" 

"Right..." 

Alex's upper lip twitched. 

"Let me kill him." 

Eddie whimpered, turning huge eyes up to Scully. 

"Well..." 

The prisoner's head snapped back toward Fox. 

" _Well_? What d'you mean _well_?" 

"What do you mean, what do _I_ mean? You dropped in on me out of a ceiling, knocked me out, locked me up in a basement, then came back here and tried and take over my life. You kissed my _man_ , for God's sake. You might have had _sex_ with him if I hadn't gotten out of there." 

"Hey, he kissed _me_. And you'd better believe I _never_ would have had...God, I can't even _think_ it. If I was gonna sleep with _anybody_ , it would have been her!" 

Fox looked from Eddie to Scully then back again. 

" _What_?" 

"We'll explain it _later_ , Mulder," Scully broke in. "Can we just get him the hell out of my apartment now?" 

"Yeah," Alex added. "Rolled up in an old quilt." 

Fox held tightly to the irate man. 

"You can't kill him, babe." 

"Yeah, I can. It's easy. Watch." 

"I know you're upset, Alex..." 

" _Upset_? This asshole knocks you out, pretends to be you, then practically drives me out of my mind, rejecting my every friggin' touch, _and_ he hits on Scully! Ya think that upsets me?" 

Again, Fox took the other man into his arms. 

"I'll take care of him, Alex. Not the way you'd like, but he's going to answer for what he's done, I promise. Please go home and wait for me." He nuzzled the other man's cheek. "When I get there, I'll help you relax." 

A small, guttural sound rolled in Eddie's throat as he shuddered in disgust, and Fox sent a hard, cold glance his way. 

"Shut the fuck up." 

"Mulder," Scully called, not sounding at all well. "Let's get this show on the road, can we _please_ , so I can hurry up and come back and pass out." 

Finally, the group departed, Alex going one way and Mulder and Scully going the other with their prisoner. 

When Alex arrived home, the first thing he did was head straight into the bedroom and rip the sheets and pillow cases off the bed. Gathering the linens up along with the pajamas Eddie had worn and the towels he'd used, Alex stormed out of the apartment and dropped everything into the incinerator chute at the end of the hall. He returned to the apartment and next scrubbed down the shower and tub. And when that was done, he stripped and stepped under an almost hot spray, scouring away the remnants of a day that would go down in history as one of the strangest and most harrowing of his life. 

Granted, he'd had more than his share of horror over the years, but walking into Scully's apartment earlier and seeing the man he'd had no reason to believe wasn't Fox getting ready to jump his partner...God, it was the worst hell he could have imagined. 

He turned the shower off and stepped out of the tub, reaching for a bath towel. He stood there, drying himself slowly and remembered how he'd almost told a complete stranger that he loved him. 

Well, sort of. Screaming at Van Blundht to tell him why he hadn't been able to kill him wasn't exactly a declaration of undying love, but he supposed it was as close as he had ever come. 

Tossing the towel into the hamper, he walked into the bedroom and pulled a fresh pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt out of his drawer and slipped into the underwear then headed into the kitchen to prepare a light, late supper in case Fox was hungry when he got home. 

Hours later, the key in the lock roused Alex out of a light slumber, and he opened his eyes, watching from the sofa as Fox dragged himself into the room. 

"All done?" he asked quietly, drawing the older man's attention to his face. 

"Thought you might have been asleep," Fox murmured, moving toward the sofa and loosening his tie. 

"I was." 

Alex sat up, making room for his lover. Fox dropped down, running a hand back and forth through his hair. 

"So?" 

"Yeah," Fox answered. "He's been taken to a psych facility where they can observe him." 

"Observe?" 

"Yeah. To determine exactly what's to be done with him." 

"They let him out of there, and *I'll* show you what'll be done with him." 

Fox smiled and kissed the younger man's forehead. "Down boy." 

Sighing heavily, Alex looked up at Fox, and his gaze softened. 

"Did he hurt you?" 

"Nah, I'm fine." 

"You sure?" 

"Yeah...so Scully told me exactly what went on at her apartment. Pretty wild." 

"Yeah." 

"I can't imagine what must have been going through your mind when you saw _me_ trying to get it on with Scully." 

Alex let out a quick breath and lowered his head. 

"Yeah, you can't." 

"I realize that there was nothing else you _could_ think. I mean, how could you know it wasn't me, but..." 

"I should've known," Alex answered simply. 

" _How_? Who would have dreamed that there was any human being capable of doing what he's able to? But anyway, uh..." Fox moved closer, stroking his lover's hair. "What I wanted to say was, in case you don't know it, I'll never do to you what you thought I had." 

Alex nodded and looked down. 

"Okay." 

He wasn't exactly making this easy. 

"I uh...Scully also told me that you told her that I... _Eddie_...avoided you like the plague." 

"Oh yeah." 

"I'm sorry." 

"What for? It wasn't you." 

"I know. I'm just sorry that you went through it at all. I know how devastated I'd be if I thought that all of a sudden you wanted nothing to do with me." 

"I was more confused than anything," Alex explained. "I hadn't reached the devastated phase until I got to Scully's." 

//Say it.// 

"See, I realized something today...no. No, that's not right. I realized it some time ago. I've just been too afraid to admit it to myself. I thought you might know. I'd hoped...and uh...I figured I didn't have to say it, but now I think I do. " 

Fox listened, becoming just a bit confused at Alex's jumbled attempts. 

"I want to. So uhh...here goes." 

//God, you sound like a freakin' idiot. Spit it the hell out!// 

"I love you." 

Fox heard the quickly uttered words, and a slow smile lit his weary features. 

"You do?" 

Alex nodded and waited warily for a worded response. 

"Wow. As much damage as he almost did, I guess we should thank Eddie. 'Cause you know, while I was trapped in that basement room, I started thinking about everything that was really and truly important to me in my life, and I came up with very little. But you," Fox whispered, cupping the younger man's cheek, "were at the very top of that extremely short list. I love you too, Alex." The smile grew wider. "Madly." 

Alex sat up slowly, his eyes never leaving Fox's. Slipping an arm around the older man's neck, he pulled him in for a soft kiss. When they parted, Fox removed his tie and began undoing his shirt. Alex's gaze went to his lover's busy hands, and he looked back up into glittering green and gold eyes. 

"You want to go take a shower while I heat up your dinner?" 

"No," Fox rasped, pulling the shirt from his body. "I want to take a shower while you heat _me_ up." 

Alex moaned while licking a moist trail up the side of Fox's neck. "We can do that." 

Fox rose to his feet, pulling Alex up along with him. The two men headed for the bathroom, undressing each other as they went, and by the time Alex turned the water on, they were both completely naked. Fox stepped into the tub, dragging Alex in with him, and their mouths met in a deep kiss as the water flowed over them. 

Groping for the sponge and bath wash, Fox broke the kiss and barely had time to wrap his fingers around the items before Alex jerked him back. Blindly pouring the thick liquid onto the sponge, he allowed Alex to feed ravenously on his mouth, and then he broke away again and began to apply the wash to his lover's chest. 

"I already had a shower, you know," Alex rasped, trying to recapture the older man's mouth. Fox avoided the attempts and continued to work up a dense lather. 

"That's okay. I just like it when you're all slick and soft." 

A low growl vibrated deep in Alex's chest as Fox's hands continued to slide over him, extending his range a little farther with each stroke. "Give me some of that," he whispered, nodding at the bottle of soap that Fox had placed next to the other sponge on the shelf a few inches away. The older man obeyed, pouring a generous amount of liquid into the second sponge and handing it to him. 

Alex watched his own hand touch the center of Fox's chest and travel slowly upward then dip back down, circling one pec. He listened to his lover's soft moan of approval, and then Fox's hands were on the move again, depositing more and more lather to Alex's yet untouched areas. 

Wet, warm, and increasingly more slippery, the two stroked each other with growing abandon. Sounds of intense arousal blended with those of the driving water, and soon enough the touching wasn't sufficient. 

"Turn around," Alex demanded, the deep, no nonsense growl making Fox's cock throb painfully. Dutifully, Fox turned his back to the other man and felt one strong arm wrap itself around his waist while the other closed around his throat. Alex's breath fanned his cheek, and the younger man's voice sounded in his ear. 

"She wanted you to kiss her, you know," he whispered, pressing his rigid erection against his lover's ass. 

"S...Scully?" 

Alex nodded. "Earlier. When she thought our friend Eddie was you." 

"No. She...she was drunk. Her judgment was impaired, but she said she wouldn't have..." 

"I don't believe it. How could she resist you?" Alex broke in, tightening his hold on Fox's throat a bit as he licked the side of his lover's face. "It's impossible." 

Fox grunted softly and closed his eyes. "Even...even if she did want me to..." Fox tried to swallow past the arm banded firmly around his throat. "Eddie was her best bet." 

"Yeah?" 

Fox nodded, reaching behind him and letting his hands trail up and down Alex's hips. 

"You're all I want." 

"For now?" 

"Forever." 

Alex moaned through clenched teeth. 

"Tell me you love me, Fox." 

"I love you," Fox gasped as the younger man nipped at his earlobe. "Only you." 

"And what do you want me to do to you?" 

"God, anything you want," Fox panted. 

"That makes me very happy," Alex answered, moving the other man toward the wall. Pushing Fox up against the tiles, Alex released his hold on him just long enough to pull his ass cheeks apart and wedge his cock between them. 

Whimpering, Fox pushed back with his hips, wanting to feel that slippery hardness thrusting inside him. 

"Feel good, baby?" 

Fox nodded frantically and tightened his hands on Alex's hips, trying to pull him forward. 

"All right," Alex soothed, taking hold of his cock and pushing it none too gently into the tight opening. Shushing Fox's abrupt cries, he again hooked an arm around the older man's neck and, holding him still with the other hand on one hip, he drove the rest of the way in, in one hard thrust. 

The overwhelming pleasure of the action threatened to drop Fox to his knees, but Alex held him up. Raising shaking hands to the wall, he clawed at the tiles as the younger man established a punishing rhythm, pounding into him without pause. Soon the arm that had encircled his waist loosened, and Alex's hand glided over to his cock. 

"I love you, baby," the younger man grated as he grasped the stiff organ and began to jerk it in time to his violent thrusts. "Oh God, oh _fuck_...love you so..." 

The rest of Alex's words were lost in the side of Fox's neck as he began to buck erratically. 

Fox felt the flood of warmth coat his insides, and the rumble of his lover's cries of completion against his shoulder, and it finished him. Loud sobs choking past his constricted throat, he came, spurting slick fluid over Alex's twitching hand and the shower tiles. When it was done, his body went slack, and only the wall and the weight of Alex's relaxed body pressed against his, held him up. 

Moaning softly, Alex lifted his head and dragged his tongue over Fox's wet shoulder and up the side of his neck to his ear. 

"Water's cooling," he murmured then began stringing tender kisses along the stubbled jaw. 

Fox nodded lazily and took a few deep breaths before pushing away from the wall. He turned on weakened legs and found himself immediately wrapped in Alex's arms. 

"How d'you feel?" 

A weary smile touched Fox's lips. 

"Exhausted." 

"Let's hurry up and get out of here then, and I'll put you to bed." 

As quickly as their heavy limbs would allow, the two men finished washing, and stepped out of the shower. Gently drying each other, they walked naked into the bedroom, and Alex turned the blankets down. Without hesitation, Fox crawled into bed, and the younger man grinned broadly. 

"What?" Fox asked, returning the smile. 

"Yep. You're my Fox." 

"Huh?" 

"The asshole was mortified at having to be naked in front of me. He wrapped a towel around himself and wouldn't take it off until he was under the covers. Then he wanted something to put on, so I got him some pajamas, and he put them on the same way." 

Fox laughed softly as Alex got into bed and pulled the blanket up around them. 

"By the way," he said, resting his head on Fox's shoulder as he draped an arm over the other man's abdomen, "how fond were you of those gray pajamas?" 

Fox turned his head and gave Alex a suspicious glance. 

"Why?" 

"I burned them." 

"You..." 

"And all the bed linens and towels that he used." 

"You're kidding." 

Alex shook his head. 

"You don't know what it feels like. To have a total stranger in your shower...your _bed_ , and not even know it. It's damn creepy." 

Fox sighed softly and covered Alex's hand with his own. 

"Okay...did you incinerate anything else that I should know about?" 

"No, but...what happened to the clothes he was wearing?" 

"I just took my jacket back. The rest of the stuff stayed." 

"You can get another jacket." 

" _What_? Nooo. C'mon Alex, I _like_ that jacket. It's all worn and comfortable." 

"You can wear mine, and I'll break in a new one, okay?" 

"All right," Fox agreed grudgingly. "If it means that much to you." 

"Thank you." 

"It creeped you out that much, huh?" 

"Like you wouldn't believe. God, I _kissed_ that fucker." 

Fox lifted a hand, petting the younger man's head. 

"Forget that and just think of the good that came out of it." 

"Yeah," Alex breathed then lifted his head and focused an adoring gaze on the other. "Feels good to finally have it out." 

"Sure does." 

"So, what is _up_ with that freak? Is he human, alien, or what?" 

"I believe he's human," Fox answered. "Just one with a very unusual physiology. He's going to take a lot of studying." 

"Yeah, well let somebody else study him. I don't ever want to have to hear the name Eddie Vanwhatever again." 

"Van Blundht," Fox droned, imitating Eddie's voice. "B-l-u-n-d- _h_ -t. The 'h' is silent." 

Alex dropped his head back down to Fox's shoulder. 

"Yeah, right. I got his 'h'." 

"Actually, you do." 

"Huh?" 

"Yeah, think about it. You see the 'h' in his last name but don't hear it. You hear the 'h' in _your_ last name, but don't _see_ it. Wow. You have something in common. Freaky, huh?" 

Alex jerked his head up, glaring down at the grinning man. 

"I have _nothing_ in common with that psychopath, and furthermore..." 

"Hey. There's something _else_ ," Fox added, his grin growing wider. "You're both psychos. Damn, this is just getting eerier and ..." 

Before Fox could finish his last word, Alex jumped on top of him, knocking the wind from his lungs. 

"Shit!" 

"What did you say?" the younger man challenged, poised to attack. 

"Say? What did I say? I didn't say anything," Fox coughed and laughed at the same time. 

"Take it back," Alex demanded, he hands already creeping over Fox's ticklish spots. 

"Take what..." 

Alex went for his underarms. 

"Okay!" Fox shouted, giving in immediately. "I take it back!" 

"All of it?" 

"Yes! All of it!" 

Alex broke off his assault. 

"Wimp." 

" _Wimp_?" 

"You heard me." 

There was no time to react as Fox sprang up, knocking Alex backward onto the bed. The attack prompted a spirited wrestling match, ending much later with Alex pinned beneath Fox, screaming his name as the older man brought him to a mind-blowing climax. 

As the two lay together panting heavily, Fox began to smile then laugh. 

"What's so funny?" Alex murmured against his shoulder. 

"I was just thinking of the look that would be on your face if I were to turn into Eddie Van Blundht right now." 

Alex opened his eyes and fixed a dark stare on the other. 

"You mean before or _after_ I painted the walls with his blood?" 

"Such violence." 

"You turn into Eddie Van Blundht and you'll see violence in its purest form, I promise you." 

Fox sighed and kissed the tip of his lover's nose. 

"No sense of humor. But I love you anyway." 

A smile replaced Alex's scowl, and he pulled Fox down for a tender kiss. 

"It can't be a very good thing that hearing you say that turns me to mush." 

"No?" Fox asked, chuckling. "Works for me." 

Alex tightened his arms around the older man and kissed the top of his head. "I figured it might." 

"Been a long day," Fox yawned, changing the subject. 

"Hell of an understatement," Alex answered, stroking Fox's back. "Let's get some sleep." 

All was quiet for several seconds, then Alex spoke again. 

"Oh. Uh, Fox?" 

"Hmm?" 

"One more thing." 

"Yeah?" 

"Who the hell is Chantal?" 

**END**

* * *

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Aries 


End file.
